FreddickBratcherandCompany.com : Pictures Of Patios That Are Good For Your Home Along With Design And Ideas

40 Elegant Bluestone Patio
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By Alek. Patio. Published at Tuesday, October 02nd, 2018 - 18:12:28 PM.

Adirondack Patio Furniture and Other Materials: Deciding on Patio Sets for Your Home
Do not expect to find the ideal patio set without a little forethought. This article will introduce the materials patio sets are commonly constructed of. Some shops specialize in Adirondack patio sets and other Adirondack patio furniture, while others only offer wrought iron sets. Choosing the material is one of the most important parts of finding the right patio set. Additionally, youll find a few questions designed to help you zoom in on the right type of patio set for your yard.
Introduction to the Three Main Patio Furniture Materials
While a few durable plastic products such as polywood have appeared lately, most long-lasting patio sets are built of wicker, wood, or metal.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wicker Patio Furniture
Many consumers prefer the "softer" feel of wicker, which also stays fairly cool in the sun. The fact that wicker (or, more commonly these days, a resin composite designed to look like wicker) is light weight is also appealing - you dont have to throw your back out when moving the patio collection into storage. However, this material has its downsides too: its likely to suffer mold and mildew growth. A pressure washer on a low pressure setting is usually enough to blast away such growth.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood Patio Furniture
Wood is easy to stain and paint, and cool in the sun. However, soft woods quickly rot in wet conditions, and even harder, rot-resistant timbers such as cedar and cypress will decompose over time without proper maintenance. Maintaining patio furniture made of wood (including most Adirondack patio furniture) involves sanding down, staining, and sealing exposed wood every year or so.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Metal Patio Furniture
Todays metal patio furniture is typically made of aluminum, although heavier wrought iron sets are still available. Wrought iron is long lasting and heavy - it wont blow over in high winds like aluminum or wicker. Aluminum is durable, easy to clean, and less expensive than wrought iron. Metal heats up quickly under sunlight, so its not the best choice around pools. Finally, metal is easy to paint. The only maintenance required is occasional rust removal.
Now that weve covered the main materials used in patio collections, lets pose a few questions to help you choose the best metal, wicker, or wood Adirondack patio furniture for your family.
1. Which patio set will best compliment my homes exterior and landscape?
No need to think about how your favorite Adirondack patio collection will compliment areas that cant be seen from the outdoor living space. For instance, if your patio is in the back yard, it doesnt matter whether your Adirondack patio collection matches the front of your home.
2. How do I anticipate using my patio furniture?
Your outdoor living habits should be considered when selecting a patio collection. For instance, if you see yourself using your patio set nearly every day, Adirondack patio furniture might be a good choice, since it can be left outside all year round in many climates. Or, if you have kids, youll want children-friendly patio collection thats safe, stable, easy to clean, and strong.
3. What kind of money do I want to spend on a patio set?
From $4,000 teak patio sets to $100 aluminum bistro groupings, patio sets are available in a wide price range.

Garden Patio Design - How to Design a Patio
A patio is just one element of a garden design, but it is one of the most expensive parts of any garden build. Because the patio fulfills several different functions it needs be given careful consideration. Here are a few pointers on how to design a patio.
Location of the patio
Most patios are sited immediately adjacent to the rear exit from the house because it is convenient - this may not be the best location for your patio. The back of the house may be shaded all day and therefore not ideal if you wish to like to sit in the sun. Consider a small terrace to the rear of the house with another seating area somewhere else in the garden which gets more sun. When designing a garden its a good idea to include more than one patio.. One patio can be sited so that it catches the last of the evening sun to provide a warm spot for an evening drink or meal. This makes the garden much more interesting and ensures that you are using more of the garden.
Intended use of the patio
Decide how you want to use the patio. Is the patio mainly for alfresco dining or sunbathing or relaxing with a book or all three? The intended use will dictate the size and location of the patio. A patio mainly for dining is best placed where there is some shade so that diners can keep cool on warmer days and seek the sun when the weather is cooler. A patio intended mainly for sunbathing needs to be in a spot where its sunny all day. If you want young children to safely use the patio, it needs to be somewhere you can see them from the house.
Capacity of the patio
The patio needs to be large enough to accommodate the correct size of table with room for chairs to be pulled out and for people to move around easily when others are seated. A guide is to allow 1m width for the table, 500mm width on either side of the table for each chair when not pushed under the table, 300mm between chairs down the side of the table, and 700mm width to pull each chair out and sit down comfortably.
Including built-in seating
Patio designs incorporating built-in seating with pergolas and outdoor fireplaces look very chic and transform the patio into an outdoor room. It is also a great way to make use of all available space in a very small garden. This solution is convenient if you dont want to shuffle around with garden furniture. However, the position of the seating is fixed and restricts how you can use the patio. The space is less flexible as seating cannot be varied to turn a dining area into a lounging area.
Creating privacy
If the patio is overlooked the patio design will need to include screening. Walls, hedges, pergolas, and fences can be included in the patio design to provide a sense of enclosure and privacy. When building a wall around a patio it is a great idea to include a window through to other garden areas so that the patio doesnt end up feeling to claustrophobic. Windows in dividing walls create an interesting glimpse of the rest of the garden without compromising privacy.
The choice of screening will depend on available budget. Walls are expensive to build, wooden screens with posts and trellis panels are much cheaper. Planting a hedge is usually the cheapest option, but may take a while to grow in unless you can afford large plants or an instant hedge.
Decide on the budget
Installing a patio is expensive but it is worth spending as much as you can afford as the patio is such an important part of the garden. The garden should be viewed as an outdoor room and if you are prepared to spend a little extra on getting it right it will be useable for most of the year. Allow around £120 per square metre as an all-in cost to get a contractor to lay your patio.
Choosing the surface material
The most common surface for a patio are paving slabs. There are many different types of paving slab with a wide range of price tags.
Steer clear of concrete slabs - they are often more expensive than natural stone, will fade over time and always end up looking fake. Indian Sandstone has dominated the paving slab market for years as it is cheap, natural, widely available and looks good. Cheaper Indian Sandstone is not always the bargain it appears as it is thinner, or poorer quality and more porous causing leaching of the minerals in the mortar onto the top surface of the stone. There are some inexpensive granite slabs currently available that make a wonderful surface only slightly more expensive than Indian Sandstone. The more expensive options are Travertine, York stone, Basalt, and Marble.
Polished concrete makes a wonderful contemporary surface for the patio. Resin bound gravel is not only great for driveways, but makes an excellent contribution to the patio paving when combined with other materials for textural contrast.
Get the best quality stone you can afford then the patio will last longer and stay looking good for many years.
A patio should never be designed in isolation without considering the rest of the garden. A well designed garden where all the elements are in scale with each other and the house will connect the house and garden. A balanced design that includes a patio or multiple patios will give the garden coherence and ensure that it is a pleasant, comfortable space in which to spend time.

Things to Consider When Installing a Patio
When it comes to installing a patio, there is more to it than just blocking off a chunk of your yard and pouring down cement. These days there are many different styles, paving materials, uses, and sizes of patios. Before you start on your patio, you need to consider the shape and size of your property, how you intend to use your patio, and the style of your home and garden. From there you can determine Placement, Shape, Size, and Paving Materials for your patio.
When deciding where to place your patio, it is very important to consider multiple aspects and ask yourself a few questions. What is the purpose for your patio? Do you intend to entertain large groups of people, or host intimate gatherings? Depending on the purpose of your patio, you then need to consider the proximity to your home. If you are installing a fireplace or fire pit, you need to make sure there is a good distance between your home and where the fire will be contained. You need to look at the available space in your yard. An over-sized patio will overtake a smaller yard. Another consideration is the amount of sun or shade you desire. If you plan to use your patio for sunbathing, you need to make sure it is in a sunny spot.
Shapes of patios are: Square, Circular, or Free-form. Square patios are the most common and can blend well with formal or contemporary gardens. If you like to entertain a lot of people, a large square or rectangular patio is a great way to go. Circular patios can either be a full circle or a half circle. The full circle patio is generally independent of other hardscapes and usually feature a focal point. Half circle patios abut either a building, such as your home, or another hardscape form, like a garden wall. Circular patios blend well into landscapes since there are no hard edges that stand out. Free-form patios are asymmetrical, less predictable, and great for more informal gardens.
Determining the size of your patio is very important. As stated above, a large patio can overwhelm a smaller yard, and vice versa. You can figure out how large your patio needs to be by deciding on how you intend to use it and how many people it should fit. Measure the size of your yard to see how much area you are working with, how much space you are willing to allot to your patio, etc. One good tip Ive come across, is to buy your patio furniture before you install your patio, arrange it where you expect your patio to be, and observe how the space is used, where people walk, etc. This will help you see just how much room is needed for walk space around the furniture, accessories, and more.
Once you have the shape, size, and purpose of your patio planned out, you can then move on to selecting appropriate paving materials. Before you jump right in and order slate tiles to go next to your pool, you need to ask yourself the following ten questions:
• What is my budget?
• What is the area that I need to cover?
• How safe is this material for my type of patio?
• How durable is it?
• What are my drainage needs? What types of materials support those needs?
• How long does it take to install this material?
• Is this something I could install myself? (good if you are doing a DIY project)
• What type of texture do I want? Will people be sitting or standing on this surface?
• How easily maintained is the material?
• What is the appearance I am going for?
Patios may seem like a simple task anyone can take on, but for a great patio that you are proud of and excited to show off, a little bit of time and thought needs to be put into the planning process.

Patio Design & Decor
The patio used to be a place, where you would set up a couple of chairs, a table, and maybe a couple of plants. These days, a patio can be an outdoor living room, a greenhouse, a garden, or even an outdoor kitchen. The function of a patio has definitely changed. From just a paved space for a weekend barbecue, the patio has become a space where family and friends gather to chat, or to relax. You can find a wide range of patio furniture and patio decor to fit your needs.
The furniture you place on your patio will be determined by the function of the patio. If you want a space to gather and chat, you can find a wide variety of chairs and benches for seating, as well as small tables where drinks can be placed. If your patio is mostly a dining area, you can buy a table or two where dinner is served. A hammock, or even a bed would be appropriate if the patio will be a place to simply relax or take a nap in the afternoons. Obviously, you can use the patio for more than one function, and furnish it accordingly. Place a table and a few chairs at one end for entertaining, and a hammock at the other end for relaxing.
Additional furnishings and appliances can be used to enhance your patio. If you love cooking, youll probably want more than just the typical backyard grill. Youll probably want something a bit more substantial, with more cooking space. If you have enough space on your patio, you can even install an entire kitchen, with cupboards, sink, and refrigerator. Most of us dont have the space for something that elaborate, but it can be done. For the most part, a good sized grill, either charcoal or gas, will make outdoor cooking a pleasant experience. If it gets cold in the evenings, you can add a patio heater or chimney to heat things up on cold evenings, and extend the use of your patio into the fall when the weather cools down. You can add a campfire atmosphere to your patio with a nice fire pit. You can find fire pits of many different materials and designs for your patio. Some of them burn wood, while others are gas powered.
The decor of the patio should reflect your tastes, and be unique. Browse online, or look through your local flea markets and garage sales, and you can find wall art, to hang on the walls or a post, to add a touch of decor to the patio. If you like gardening, you can add some containers or hanging baskets filled with flowers, to add a touch of color to your deck. If you like the sound of falling water, there are many fountains available to either mount on the wall, or set on the deck. The possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating your patio. Use your imagination, and make your patio unique.
I could go on and on about decorating patios, but that could fill several pages. Browse through some home and garden magazines, visit your friends and relatives, and see what theyve done with their patios. Make notes of what you like, and what you dont like. Then take a look at your patio. Decide what you want to use the patio for, how you want to decorate it, and go for it. Make your patio a place where you can relax, and enjoy life.